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The majority of people opt for a hybrid system which allows them to fall back on Eskom’s supply in certain instances.

GEORGE NEWS – An increasing number of fed-up homeowners are opting for solar energy supply systems to shield themselves from the nasty surprises that Eskom deals out every so often with its unpredictable load shedding episodes.

Specialised Solar Systems general manager Ryan Oliver says they rarely install a system that is completely off the grid because of the expense of having much more battery storage, which is the most expensive component of a solar- powered system.

The majority of people opt for a hybrid system which allows them to fall back on Eskom’s supply in certain instances.

But what will it cost a homeowner to give the plundered-to-debt-ridden electricity provider the boot?

3 basic components

The three basic components of a solar-powered system are the solar panels, the batteries in which to store energy from the panels, and an inverter/charger that converts the energy generated by the panels into electricity that is suitable for the electricity grid of your home. During the day, power is used directly from the panels and surplus energy is stored in the batteries.

On cloudy days the panels generate less energy, but you are able to monitor levels thanks to a high-tech monitoring system that is part of the package and can adapt your usage accordingly or revert back to Eskom usage for a period.

An affordable hybrid system asks you to adapt

Oliver says the average homeowner deciding on an affordable solar-powered system needs to be realistic about the implications it will have on their energy consumption habits.

You should be willing to go without some non-essentials when Eskom fails, except if you have a generator that can keep the non-essentials going.

The hybrid system’s inverter/charger has two load outputs – one for essentials (lighting, fridges, entertainment, Internet, and security) and the other for non-essentials (tumble drier, stove/oven, dishwasher, geyser, etc). With the essentials always being available and the non-essential turning off during load shedding, at least you know during load shedding the essentials will keep running and the non-essentials won’t drain the battery.

Halving your demand

According to Eskom, the average South African household uses about 30kWh of electricity per day. Opting for a solar generation “within a reasonable budget” will require either changing to gas geyser/s or reducing the size of the geyser/s element/s and changing the stovetop to gas. Since cooking and bathing are done mostly before sunrise and after sunset, you would not tap into the batteries’ power supply, otherwise, your battery storage demand will increase (making the system more expensive).

Changing the geyser/s and stovetop can potentially halve the usage down to about 15kWhs per day, according to Oliver. This level of consumption needs a smaller-sized solar-powered system, which is more affordable for the average household.

Solar geyser

Keep in mind that by reducing the geyser element/s size it takes longer to heat up the water when a geyser timer is installed and set to run during the day at peak sunlight hours when there is solar spare this now smaller usage can be run completely from the solar panels. The maximum allowable heat loss for a 150lt capacity geyser (most common geyser size) is between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius over a 24 hour period when no water is drawn off during the 24-hour period. By setting the temperature to, say, 60 degrees C you are assured to have hot water at all times.

Price comparison

The difference in price between a hybrid and totally off-grid system is considerable because you need much more battery storage when you go completely independent from Eskom.

A hybrid system for an average household can cost between R110,000 and R150,000 while the same household will cough up roughly R250 000 to go completely off the grid. (These prices do not include gas geyser and gas stove top conversion.)

Banks provide financing for these systems and the homeowner can use the saving in their electricity account to help pay off the investment.

When quality equipment is purchased the system should last you a very long time: The batteries have a 10year guarantee and should last 15 to 20years, the inverter/charger has a 5year guarantee and should last about the same as the batteries. A set of decent panels with a 12year guarantee lose generating capacity as they age, but even after 25years, they are guaranteed to still generate ≥ 80% of their original output.

Farmers, who pay a huge availability charge to Eskom, will benefit from the off-grid system as they can use the Eskom fee to finance their solar-powered system.

Quality

There are varying quality levels in solar-powered systems and Oliver advises that homeowners do thorough homework before choosing a supplier and installer.

“When you purchase a car you don’t just buy the cheapest one, you way up all the options and benefits and make a calculated decision.

You want a system with components that will last a long time and have the ability to be programmed to do what you want them to do, make sure you are working with a reputable supplier/installer who backs the guarantees of the products they are supplying themselves. Unfortunately, some companies install inferior components, requiring replacement not far down the line, to make extra money,” warns Oliver.

With the next price increase of electricity around the corner and the unpredictability of our power supplier, why not opt for electrical savings with the added benefit of power security and independence, after you’ve done your homework, of course.

For more information on how to start saving with solar energy please contact info@specializedsolarsystems.co.za

George Herald article at the following link: https://www.georgeherald.com/News/Article/General/can-you-afford-to-give-eskom-the-boot-202202171036